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((I'll start with typing up a little petition first, which might be difficult since I'm on mobile, but oh well. After that I'll either ask Michael a few more questions before I submit it, or I'll just try my luck and figure it out myself))
 
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Pope Stephen was restless,

He was trapped in the walls of his palace, with no sign of reliquishment from his metaphorical prison.
Furthermore he missed the tranquility and the humlity of his time in Pirineo, though he enjoyed the papal library, and was glad he was able to have his candlesticks safely transferred, a little piece of home in this alienating abode.

But with work needed to be done, such as canonizations to introduce, and trips to plan. He had hoped to visit some of the further reaches of Europe, such as the English and the Romans of the East, as well as discussions to the Hoy Roman Emperor. He prayed for a safe, and just, peace from the Tuscans and from his previous liege, King Ferran III of Aragon and thus maintatined his anxious walking.
 
((I'll start with typing up a little petition first, which might be difficult since I'm on mobile, but oh well. After that I'll either ask Michael a few more questions before I submit it, or I'll just try my luck and figure it out myself))

((Delpiero pretty much said what I would have. You just need to ask the king to form a trading company and then draft up a charter. There's a link in the table of contents to the charter for the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company if you need an example. You don't require a flag like used there, but I just need a list of members, any monopolies that have been granted (none at the start), and how the head of the trading company is decided (blood, seniority, or vote?). Feel free to ask any questions you have. :)))
 
Constantinople, July 1524, beginning of the Polish siege.

In the distance the polish army appeared to swarm with activity, minature men rushed from one place to another on their unknowable errands. The imperial retinue of Symbasileus Andronikos watched from their vantage point atop the Dungeon of Anemas, a pair of 23m towers built into the walls of Constantinople.
Armand wondered if the Symbasileus realised that all four emperors to previously bear the name Andronikos had all been imprisoned there at some point in their lives. If he did it probably did not worry him. The co-ruler of the Roman Empire was not an intriguer. In what little Armand had seen of court politics so far the man would get pulled into the scheme of one faction or another with an astonishing degree of naivety.
A puff of smoke announced the firing of one of the cannon. As the ball flew through the air it left a trace of black as though God himself had taken a quill and drawn a straight line through the sky. Just as it dawned on Armand what the straightness of the line meant, one of the imperial guards yelled to get down. The cannonball slammed into the masonry 30ft to their left sending up a shower of stone shards and dust.

((
CwSCFKm.jpg

Dungeon of Anemas in the present day from outside the walls.))​

October 1524

News had filtered into the city that Adrianople had fallen handing full control of the dardanelles to the enemy. Food would be much more difficult to ship in now. Unlike half a century ago, when the city fell to the Aragonese, the population had almost doubled and the number of small farms that had sprung up inside the walls had again diminished. Food shortages were a real threat.

November 1524

The Polish cannon had not succeeded in breaching the walls despite focusing on an older section. Apparently frustrated with the lack of results General Campineanu, a Moldavian noble, had ordered a full frontal assault, but that too had met with bloody failure, suffering heavy casualties as it was beaten back by the defenders.
In desperation the besiegers were now seeking to break through the walls by constructing underground tunnels in an effort to mine them. However counter-mines were now being dug, hopefully allowing Greek troops to enter the mines and kill the Polish workers.
The first tunnel had been intercepted that afternoon and now Armand joined the soldiers charging through the tunnel towards the enemy. He had no real business being there, but it couldn’t hurt his position to show solidarity.
There were two dozen soldiers guarding the workers, but they were quickly overrun. Armand discharged his pistol at point-blank range into the face of the miner, and it dissolved in a spray of blood. He handed his now empty weapon to Pere, his attendant, to reload and received a loaded one in return.
The victorious soldiers set about laying gunpowder and naphtha to destroy the tunnel. A couple of officers from the troops guarding the enemy workers had been captured. Their fate would not be pretty, but at least their screams could reveal the location of the other tunnels. Armand crossed himself as he thought of it.

Seven days later the Poles withdrew. Not only had all their attempts at breaching the walls been foiled, but Aragonese gains in Anatolia had reopened the dardanelles, buoying the morale of the defenders. News later arrived that Basileios Kantakuzenos, the Greek commander in the field had been harrying Campineanu's estates in Moldavia.
Whilst one would never be able to describe court life in Constantinople as ‘peaceful’ a degree of normalcy returned.
 
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((Delpiero pretty much said what I would have. You just need to ask the king to form a trading company and then draft up a charter. There's a link in the table of contents to the charter for the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company if you need an example. You don't require a flag like used there, but I just need a list of members, any monopolies that have been granted (none at the start), and how the head of the trading company is decided (blood, seniority, or vote?). Feel free to ask any questions you have. :)))

((Alright, sooo, could I just send you a charter once I'm done to see if it is good enough, or should I just post it in here and you review it?))
 
((Alright, sooo, could I just send you a charter once I'm done to see if it is good enough, or should I just post it in here and you review it?))

((Whatever you feel comfortable with. You can post it here if you want or PM it to me first if you're not sure if it's correct. Either is fine.))
 
1525-1530 – A Whole New World

The cardinals in Rome deliberated for days over who to appoint as the new pope. Aragon’s control of Roma impacted the choice dramatically and swayed many of the cardinals to favour an Aragonese candidate to encourage peace talks. Cardinal Carlo Angelo Abate seemed a good choice as the senior cardinal from Aragon, but many saw him as unconcerned with papal politics. Many instead favoured Cardinal Juan de Soneta, for the man was both pious and an involved member of the Holy See. Thus the decision was made that Cardinal Soneta would become Pope Stephen X.

The new pope’s first act was to attempt to settle a peace. First he approached his own countrymen and proposed offering war reparations to make up for the lives lost. King Ferran III, who had never been too enthusiastic to fight the Papal State in the first place, eagerly accepted the offer, although he felt somewhat guilty that Aragon would be taking money from the Church. What he hoped for most was that this would lead to a repairing of relations with the Church and perhaps encourage Tuscany to settle a peace too. Pope Stephen X sent an offer to Tuscany, agreeing to hand over Romagna and pay war reparations. The Tuscans, however, had grown greedy and confident. They refused the offer, demanding that the Papal State hand over Umbria and Ancona as well, even though the war had been started over Romagna. Not even the Pope could agree to such a thing, especially as long as the Polish continued to fight. At the news, King Ferran III was quite irate. The Tuscans were overreaching.

With the war over with, Chancellor Jaume Limmona started a campaign against the Hungarians. Their expansion had not gone unnoticed and they threatened the Greeks to the south. Just like Venice, Aragon would have to keep an eye on Hungary.

Speaking of Venice, Grand Admiral En Alfonso Narzis de Montcada made a call for the Aragonese navy to expand to a point where it outnumbered the Venetian navy, something greatly supported by the rest of court. Shortly after this plan was made, the Venetians in turn downsized their navy. The Aragonese embargo must have been wrecking havoc on their trade and affording such an extensive fleet was not manageable. It seemed that the navy did not even need to be expanded to outnumber the Venetians now. Despite that, five galleys were placed under construction, since Venice still had more of those than Aragon did. ((Not sure what happened here. I can only assume Venice disbanded ships shortly after we took the mission. Weird.))



With the acquisition of Vizcaya from Castile years ago, Aragon now had a greater trade presence on its north coast. The duke of Navarra, Tomas II Maria Arias Etxeto, benefited the most from the trade, since he controlled the key port in the region. It was thus to his benefit to encourage increased trade through neighbouring Vizcaya as well to draw trade in from the north.

In other trade-related news, marketplaces were set up in Toledo and Palermo, encouraging trade through these key locations.

The Crown’s attempt to colonize a piece of the New World was given much focus and King Ferran dedicated himself to ensuring the growing colony in Alagoas remained a success. If it could become self-sufficient, more expansion in the area could be pursued.

Conversion efforts in Africa paid off again as the Inquisition brought the true faith to Cayor. Farther south in Karou, the Crown contemplated the idea of establishing a penal colony. Attempts to settle the region were going slowly, but if prisoners were shipped there and forced to build up the region, it might grow faster.



In July of 1525, Explorer Alejandro Sancho returned from the New World having charted a region known as the Caribbean. It featured an extensive chain of islands that were ripe for colonization. Of particular interest was a stretch of land that seemed to expand far off into the distance. The King was quite intrigued by this news and requested that the Explorer continue on north to chart the coast of this mysterious landmass. The King also made arrangements with some mercenary companies for plans to send them to the New World to explore farther inland, but it would take time to outfit such expeditions.

Portugal had remained bitter after their defeat in the last Castilian war and had never gotten over it. Attempts to repair relations had not been forthcoming and eventually things deteriorated to a point where the two kingdoms were openly competing. Portugal would only see Aragon as a rival from now on.

The colony in Alagoas reported that the local wood was of a variety never before seen in Europe and could be used for many different purposes. It could be a valuable resource to trade in the markets of Europe.

Genoa, after their occupation by Aragon during Tuscany’s ongoing war, had never recovered. The people were furious, especially in their Anatolian territories. The state was unstable and facing internal conflicts. Having to pay war reparations to Tuscany and cutting ties with Austria surely didn’t help.



Explorer Ferdinand Xaver Lübecker returned from exploring the southern reaches of the new continent. He had successfully made his way around the landmass, proving that it did not go on forever. His attempts to continue up the western coast to get around it proved fruitless, as he ran out of supplies before he could find a way around. He was forced to return back to Aragon first. As he set out again, he decided that perhaps it would be easier sailing around the northern side of this continent.

By the end of 1525, preparations were finally complete for an expedition to the New World. Conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, along with 3,000 mercenaries, set sail for Alagoas, where they would then set out on a long expedition to explore the wonders of this mysterious continent. Some of the natives encountered had heard rumours of cities made of gold. Perhaps this expedition would encounter one. For the most part, they just ran into a lot of hostile natives. ((I won’t even bother to include all the battles fought in the New World while exploring. They are too numerous and one-sided.))

Even though Aragon was at peace, the Tuscan-Papal war continued on without it. A battle between the French and Polish in Verona proved quite bloody and showed that the war was not going to end any time soon.

Things were not always cheery at home. With the kingdom free of heathens, the Inquisition had resorted to rooting out heretics instead. Some thought this barbaric process of interrogation to root out heresy was a bit much.



The trek through the New World was proving quite the challenge for Juan Ponce de Leon. In one region of jungle, he encountered all kinds of poisonous plants that caused the death of nine horses and a few men. The place seemed cursed and the conquistador was only too glad to be gone from the region.

Efforts to improve trade continued on as marketplaces were constructed in both Barcelona and Zaragoza. A new type of market involved the sale of humans, mainly slaves from Africa. Karou had proven a good province for the slave trade.

A new exploration effort was also being undertaken in Africa. Conquistador Denis Philippe de Montségur was given command of 5,000 men and told to attempt to explore the African interior. Perhaps there were valuable trade goods farther inland.

In August of 1526, a monk visited Valencia spreading heretical ideas that there was no purgatory and praying for the dead served no purpose. The King personally requested an audience with this monk and argued over religious doctrine for hours before accepting that the man could not be swayed. King Ferran brought this man and his ideas to Pope Stephen X, who promptly excommunicated the monk. The monk disappeared a few days later. Some suspected the Inquisition had disposed of him, but nothing could be proven.

While exploring the coasts of the northern continent, Explorer Alejandro Sancho encountered yet another tribe fascinated with his men’s beards. They gladly offered food and gold to the bearded men. Why these natives were so fascinated with facial hair was beyond anyone.



Switzerland signed a white peace with Tuscany in December, leaving the Papal State and Poland-Lithuania left to fight on. The Papal State was completely occupied now and dependent on Polish assistance.

Explorer Ferdinand Xaver Lübecker returned from charting the region now known as Panama. He had not found a way around the continent, but he did encounter a Portuguese colony and the settlers there revealed that another ocean lay on the other side. It seemed this area was a narrow point and perhaps could prove to be the end of the continent. He would need to head out once again and head further northwest to find a way through from the north.

With the kingdom at peace, the main fleet was ordered mothballed, with the exception of transports that remained in Africa to assist with Montségur’s exploration of Africa.

Sancho returned in March of 1527 with not only maps of even more of the northern continent, but with news that the English had established a colony on the small island of Bermuda. Competition for these new lands was growing. As for the Explorer, he set out to explore further north.



Conquistador Leon made a startling discovery when some natives he encountered revealed that a member of his expedition was actually a woman. No one but the naturalist had been aware of this. Some wanted her send away, but the decision was made to let her stay since sending her back while in the middle of the wilderness was not exactly possible anyway. She had carried her weight and then some up until that point, which was probably why no one realized she was a woman. As long as she kept up, there was no reason to send her back. Having her around also boosted the men’s morale, perhaps for less scrupulous reasons.

The plan to make church attendance mandatory had been implemented years ago, but its application was spotty at best. There were some communities that simply didn’t even bother, even when it was the law. This required a different approach. Emphasis was placed on the community aspect of Mass, where everyone in a town would gather together and share in the ceremony. If people saw it more as a communal event, they might respond better to it. In general, people seemed to react more favourably to this approach.

Montségur’s exploration of Africa had proven fruitless so far. All attempts to head further inland faced failure as he encountered hostile African tribes that saw his exploration attempts as an intrusion into their lands. Perhaps he would have better luck further south.

August of 1527 brought the first good news for Leon’s expedition. A monk had encountered some natives who spoke of Cibola, a city made of gold. The Conquistador immediately enlisted the help of the monk in tracking down this golden city. Its riches belonged to Aragon.



Another mass recruitment effort occurred across the kingdom as attempts to raise manpower were conducted in Cagliari, La Mancha, Urgell, and Pirineo. It was not only hoped that these men might serve the army, but they could be used for building projects in the region. ((I was trying to raise some provinces in development to unlock another building slot.)) A marketplace was constructed in Messina as well.

Savoy’s attempt to take down Genoa while they were focused on Tuscany failed as a white peace was signed. Austria and Hungary must have bailed Genoa out, but Genoa’s own problems must have kept them from taking anything for themselves. Genoa seemed weaker now though. They were no longer capable of competing with Aragon and the embargo on Genoa was costing more than it was worth. Rivalry no longer suited the two. The embargo was called off. Hungary, however, could more easily be embargoed. Cutting them off from goods travelling through Greece or the Adriatic was all too easy and also served to weaken Venetian trade, a win-win situation.

After more failed attempts to break into the interior of Africa, Conquistador Montségur arranged to be transported overseas to Alagoas. Perhaps he would do better following in the footsteps of Leon and find something worthwhile in the New World.

The Tuscan war took a turn as France attempted an assault on Poland to knock them out of the war with a bold strike. They did manage an initial victory and perhaps could push in further from then on.



With the mass exploration of the New World, there was so much more lands open for colonization. Unfortunately many people weren’t that enthused about leaving their home behind for some strange land. Attempts were made to encourage people to make these trips and settle far from Europe. The kingdom would benefit with their presence in the New World and the claim on the land that came with it.

Of course such a venture required ships to transport and supply these colonies. These ships would inevitably draw away from expenses needed for the navy. If Aragon wanted to manage both, they’d have to build up their naval infrastructure and plan ahead to support a vast increase in the navy. Such a thing shouldn’t be too difficult with such a heavy naval focus in Aragon.

February of 1528 brought worrisome news. A peace between Tuscany and the Papal State had been signed. After years of occupation, the Papal State was completely at the mercy of Tuscany. King Ferran had hoped that Tuscany would merely press its claim on Romagna. Instead it laid claim to Ancona and Umbria as well, reducing the Papal State to just Roma. The King was aghast at this decision. How could any good Catholic nation so greatly harm the Church? The decision to aid the Tuscans to begin with greatly plagued his mind after this. How could he trust Tuscany after what they had done to the Papal State?

As one war ended, another began. Provence intended to expand its domain into Burgundy.



The continued effort to boost trade in the kingdom led to the construction of a marketplace in Syracuse.

Lübecker returned from exploring with no evidence that there was a way around this new continent from the north. The King, wanting to see some progress in finding a way to India, instead requested that the explorer trying going around Africa to see if that would be easier. Thus Lübecker set out for the Cape of Good Hope.

In June of 1528, English troops marched through northern Aragon using a recently signed agreement with Trier for military access, who was an enemy of theirs, as a reason to do so. This breech of sovereignty was not appreciated. Nevertheless, a weaker Castile benefited Aragon greatly. This war involved some strong nations and could prove to weaken many of them.

Montségur, during his exploration, sent off some men to investigate some rumours of a gold mine. They were brutally massacred by natives and Montségur sent his men out for revenge, and partially to see if gold could still be found. The hostile natives were dealt with, but the rumoured gold mind had been destroyed.

Aragon’s control of the Papacy and the continuing decline of Castile were starting to make an impact. One cardinal in Madrid privately tested the waters to see if Aragon would welcome another cardinal. A chance to weaken Castile’s influence in the Holy See and gain another cardinal could not be passed up. An offer of gold was sent to the cardinal and he relocated into Aragon. It was fortunate that this cardinal actually went through with the agreement this time.



Some peasants in Lucania were discontent with current tax levels. Apparently they saw that as an excuse to rise up in rebellion. That did not end well for them and they were forced into hiding. Open rebellion could not be tolerated.

A turbulent encounter with the natives led to an increase in hostility as Explorer Sancho was forced to order his men to shoot the natives on sight if they approached his ship. A similar experience happened a few weeks later with another tribe of natives. The northern natives were much more hostile than the ones encountered further south.

Things weren’t going so well farther south. Conquistador Leon, after months of travel, reached the supposed city of Cibola, only to find out that the monk had lied to him. The city was not built with gold, but with mud and sticks. It was a great disappointment for all involved, and the monk was lucky to get out of there alive. After that, Leon encountered Montségur and the two decided to combine their efforts. ((Both conquistadors ended up in the same province and are now following the same exploration path. I tried separating them, but they kept trying to go to the same places. Teamwork for the win?))



Sancho returned from exploring the north, having found a large river basin and another island. This northern continent seemed as expansive as the southern one. Next he was off to explore the waters of the North Sea, after refurbishing his ships. That trip didn’t take too long and the King suggested that the explorer try seeing what was near the White Sea, although most at court were perplexed why he’d want anyone to explore the waters near Muscovy. As expected, not much was found, but at least Aragon knew what was there now.

The Provence-Burgundy war raged on and King Ferran was delighted to learn that Provence had completely occupied Castile. Their neighbour was a mere shadow of its former self.

In some more positive news, the rebellion expected in Africa seemed as though it would never be. Reinforcements from Greece had kept the provinces in line and now things had calmed down. A rebellion was unlikely now.

Great news reached the court in October of 1529. Alagaos had become a small city and the first successful colony in the New World. It was hoped that many more would be created in the coming years. For the meantime though, the court still wanted some expansion in Africa. After much deliberation, Andrés Iglesia y Maig y Niño’s offer to fund a colonial venture to St. Helena was accepted. There were similar suggestions to colonize the Gold Coast, but the native population was quite large and hostile. With St. Helena having no locals, colonizing it was a safer bet.




((We also have a lot more land we can colonize. I think I might just make a separate post for all the exploration screenshots and link to it in the table of contents so people can easily find it. For now, here are the exploration missions for our explorers and possible rivals for the Chancellor.))







Xs93UHA.png

Presenting His Majesty, Ferran III de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks.

The peace settled between Tuscany and the Papal State disturbs me greatly. We may well have to reassess our relations with Tuscany, or perhaps extend a hand of friendship to the Papal State for their own protection. We have also heard word that the people of Gabu have embraced the true faith, even though the heathen Mali rules over them. Perhaps we will have to intervene to save our brothers in faith. Then again, our army is still drained and it will take some time to recover. Perhaps some more time of peace is what we need. ((We have a new mission to pick and these represent the three. I’ll post them with the vote later.))

((Okay, time for the usual routine. All ministers have until 12pm PST on Monday to propose new plans. Some of you haven’t presented any so far, so you may be replaced if you miss this round too. I shall post the list of ministers just in case some of you forgot. You may also propose new laws and such in this time. I won't require new mission choices from my explorers or colonies people want to back until the end of the vote.

Chancellor - Jaume Limmona – AvatarOfKhaine
Steward - Raffaelo Mòdena - Von Habsburg
Treasurer - King Ferran III de Trastámara
Grandmaster - Maxime de Saint-Pierre – 05060403
Marshal - King Ferran III de Trastámara
Grand Admiral - En Alfonso Narzis de Montcada – Marschalk
Court Chaplain - Carlo Angelo Abate - Morgan McCloud
Representative to Byzantium - Armand Antonio Sastre – Keinwyn
Spymaster - Secret

Pensions anyone?

@ManderTea
@SirAlucard

And the dying:

@MastahCheef117))
 
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((Here are images of all the provinces we can currently colonize. There are a lot of them now with that new exploration idea. Since some of them are hard to read, I will accept people asking to colonize in a general region and just pick an appropriate province myself. I'm going to create a link to this post in the table of contents for easy reference. Also, keep in mind that since Portugal has a colonial nation in Colombia, all Catholic nations trying to colonize in the region will be penalized. I apologize for the picture spam that will occur if you open that spoiler. :p



















))
 
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((I have a lot of business to attend to so I will get down to it in a long message.))

NMTb8q6.png

First off,
To the court of Aragon,

It is ill news to find Italia in a state of such reckless aggression and disarray. The legitimate and temporal rights of the holy father have been violated by the gutless, gold mongering, de Medici who we have just auctioned off our royalty to like another one of their sinful loans. My family's homeland of Modena suffers under their yoke as do the princes of the Romagna, the lords of Umbria, the Duke of Ferrara, the oligarchs of Siena, and the merchants of Pisa. Is it not the duty of Aragon to protect the holy father? Is it not our position in Naples that is threatened by our so-called allies? Yea, it is not only the Pope who loses in this war, but sovereignty and Aragona herself.

The Steward's plan is as follows:Focus on the production of quality and expensive goods in our colonies by building government and trade company funded workshops and other buildings that increase our output of cash crops. This reinforces our economy and helps stimulate immigration. ((I don't recall if we have unlocked plantations our other manufacturers but that plays into this plan as well.))

To Maxime ((@05060403)),

Thank you for this most rare and exotic gift. The money has been transferred to a banking account in Venice for the accessibility of the TPTC and Sancho. Do with it as you please. I must admit I hold a deal of resentment for the Tuscans and their economical practices and therefore placed the money in a Venetian rather than Florentine bank. I am surprised the TPTC hasn't found the slowly developing Italian monopoly of the De Medici concerning.

In deep gratitude and deeper concern,
Raffaelo, Cardinal Módena

To His Holiness Stephen X, ((@ML8991)),

Congratulations on your ascension to the throne of St.Peter and your steadfast representation of the church's interests in these troubled times. I have one request of you, and it is not a small one. I humbly petition to be your Vice Chacellor in the Holy See. I have had experience as Prelate of Sardinia, a missionary and as steward of Aragon. I am always at your service and look forward to working with you for the greater glory of God.

Cardinal Módena
 
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((We indeed have not unlocked either manufactories or plantations, which require tech 11 and 14 respectively.

Probably should have clarified this awhile back when ML referred to Tuscany having a king, but Tuscany remains a republic and their ruler is not a Medici. I just treated them as an influential banking family in Tuscany due to their historical significance.))
 
Finally having recovered from sickness, Ferdinand finally was in a condition to explore again. The Panamá seemingly had a sea just beyond it, as did Mexico, but that stinky rival of his had just reduced his funding--for the second time! At least he was back to exploring, going off to the Cape of Good Hope as Diás and Da Gama did earlier in history. There was a way around this continent, Ferdinand thought.

((Exploration plan:
-Continue with the Good Hope mission
-Zanzibar
-Circumnavigate continue onwards to India, Cathay, Kamchatka, Alaska... wherever the gods of exploration take me :p
I would also be willing to sponsor another colony in the New World. Las Malvinas anyone? :p
))
 
((We indeed have not unlocked either manufactories or plantations, which require tech 11 and 14 respectively.

Probably should have clarified this awhile back when ML referred to Tuscany having a king, but Tuscany remains a republic and their ruler is not a Medici. I just treated them as an influential banking family in Tuscany due to their historical significance.))

((We are close to adm tech level 11 so when we unlock them they will become part of the national push for better production. Also, who is the current Gonfoloniere of Tuscany and did you provide a religious map of Europe?))

Finally having recovered from sickness, Ferdinand finally was in a condition to explore again. The Panamá seemingly had a sea just beyond it, as did Mexico, but that stinky rival of his had just reduced his funding--for the second time! At least he was back to exploring, going off to the Cape of Good Hope as Diás and Da Gama did earlier in history. There was a way around this continent, Ferdinand thought.

((Exploration plan:
-Continue with the Good Hope mission
-Zanzibar
-Circumnavigate continue onwards to India, Cathay, Kamchatka, Alaska... wherever the gods of exploration take me :p
I would also be willing to sponsor another colony in the New World. Las Malvinas anyone? :p
))

((Private))

To the explorer Ferdinand,

I have heard you are lacking funds and I am willing to possibly be a patron for your future endeavors. Let's discuss when you are next in Valencia.
Good luck in Cathay and may God bless your struggles,

Cardinal Módena
 
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((We are close to adm tech level 11 so when we unlock them they will become part of the national push for better production. Also, who is the current Gonfoloniere of Tuscany and did you provide a religious map of Europe?))

((The current Gonfaloniere is Alessandro Bartolini, who has been in power for roughly 5 years. And here is the religion map, which is frankly quite boring due to the increasing lack of heresy. :p As you can see, almost all of Europe is Catholic, with only Serbia, Wallachia, Muscovy, and Georgia holding out, although Lithuania has a lot of Orthodox provinces as it usually does.

))
 
((Wanted to ask, did the King decide to keep the office of Marshal for himself because he would prefer to do so - or because of the lack of candidates? I thought of applying for it, since I was waiting for the absent von Thun to retire for some time))

 
((Wanted to ask, did the King decide to keep the office of Marshal for himself because he would prefer to do so - or because of the lack of candidates? I thought of applying for it, since I was waiting for the absent von Thun to retire for some time))

((I took over because SirAlucard didn't post a plan for the last 2-3 updates. Technically it is up for grabs, so you may swap the Grand Admiral position for Marshal if you wish. It probably suits a general better. :D))
 
Moncada-Spain.jpg

((Michaelangelo - Private)
To Ferran III, of House Trastamara, the King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks

My liege,

While it has been an honor for me to serve as your Grand Admiral during the last years, it has always been my main aim and ambition to be of use to Your Majesty with the army. Hearing that the respectable Stephen von Thun has retired from his office as Lord Marshal, I ask my Sovereign to consider my candidacy for this position. I believe that leading the troops of Your Majesty in all recent wars and authoring the great reform of modernization of our army structure may demonstrate that I have the necessary experience.

Your obedient servant,
Alfons Narzis de Montcada,
Count of Girona and Grand Admiral of Aragon
 
"What are they saying?" Sastre asked.

"Who knows. Just smile, wave, and take the gold" Sancho replied.

For the umpteenth time, their beards had come in handy. These natives (it took a few dozen villages to realize these were not gorillae) were obsessed with beards. Sancho had ordered that no one was allowed to shave their beards after the first positive encounter a few years ago. This had resulted in some unfortunate consequences, such as nests of maggots in some of the beards, but no one complained after the natives gave them gold for their beards. Sometimes, if they were lucky, they would even get to sleep with some of the prettier natives.

That night, on the banks of that mysterious bay, Sancho and his men got lucky.

sittinghans2.jpg
 
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Moncada-Spain.jpg

((Michaelangelo - Private)
To Ferran III, of House Trastamara, the King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks

My liege,

While it has been an honor for me to serve as your Grand Admiral during the last years, it has always been my main aim and ambition to be of use to Your Majesty with the army. Hearing that the respectable Stephen von Thun has retired from his office as Lord Marshal, I ask my Sovereign to consider my candidacy for this position. I believe that leading the troops of Your Majesty in all recent wars and authoring the great reform of modernization of our army structure may demonstrate that I have the necessary experience.

Your obedient servant,
Alfons Narzis de Montcada,
Count of Girona and Grand Admiral of Aragon

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I gladly accept your offer. You have proven yourself on the battlefield and surely will do so as Marshal.

- His Majesty, Ferran III de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks
 
'A brilliant idea, I must say.' Montségur grinned at Karunga. 'Your people make excellent slaves since they realized that they are not up to a fight. And who is better suited than criminals to capture them? A true genius, our good king.' The skull's jaw opened, and Montségur had to fix it again. 'Is it so surprising? Well, old friend, with the prisoners here, there are good news as well. We are going into the continent's interior! I have heard of the Mali gold mines for some time now...'

'Even more natives ahead, monseigneur!' His officer Valeyron shouted. 'I fear we must return.' Denis Philippe cursed again. He could mow down some thousand savages, but these were well-organized for a change. He was confident that he could win, but this would cause a true war, and he needed the crown's approval for that. 'Then we have no choice. To the coast, men.' The gold was out of his reach again. He fired a bullet in their direction, but it never hit anything. He would have loved to justify himself for defending, but alas the Oyo were not falling for this trap. Just as he reached his camp again, a messenger from Valencia arrived.
'What now? Am I to watch the bloody Jolofians again?'
'No, my lord. The king wishes for you to embark for the New World...'
Montségur didn't listen to the messenger much longer. Finally! He would leave this cursed continent with its savages, prisoners and million beasts for the New World! Overjoyed, he readied himself for the crossing. It will be hard, but certainly worth it - much more than his time in Africa!

((I'll add something about the Peraltas later. Also, @zenphoenix , how about we write some IC about our conquistadores' meeting in the jungle?))
 
Pope Stephen was agast, the vile 'gonafaloniere' of Tuscany had assulted the house and the sancity of God, the man will surely rot in hell, and may the divine father see to it that his doom comes soon.

But he was glad for the reliquished hold over his once empire, now a mere province, ans he set to work. He wondered, on foot, to the small hamlets outside the city walls, being sure that the will and conviction in the lord saviour is there, for which his people were glad. He sat and he dined with them and, if the day was a long one, he would share their beds. But this was a short aspect of his time now, given the small nature of his dominion.

Thusly he set out to formalize his plans. He was thinking about going to England first, but seeing as Aragon was in the path, and his collegee, Cardinal Mòdena was situated on the isles in between and wanted a papal position, the man and kingdom as a whole deserved his attention.

Then he would sail through the Pillars of Hecakles, up towards the French Kingdom, to meet with their monarch in Paris ((mike, in all places listed, can you say who is the king/ queen, or in the case of the HRE, who the emperor is atm)) and then to England, to talk in London, sailing out from there he would talking in the lowlands briefly before meeting the congolomeration of states that described the Holy Roman Empire, ending up eventually at Venieza, before sailing around aragonese Italy, and thus landing back in Rome.

Before he set off he issued three decrees:
1) He shall be absent from his estates for some years, as he commences a tour on Europe to insure the loyality and devotion of the major soviergn nations to their rightful God
2) The L'Assenza Act: To respond to Decree 1.In which the Pope would remain Divine Soverign of the Papal State, even if his person be outside the juristiciton of the lands of the State.
3) The Ascendcy of 1530: A canonization of Cardinal Fernando de Vascona, in recognition of his supreme devotion to the church, and the effective combating of heretical peoples in the Kingdom of Aragon. May he become the Patron Saint of Guardians and Learning
 
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